Update: Defense challenges homicide investigation

WISCONSIN RAPIDS -- The prosecutor in the case of a 55-year-old man charged with first-degree intentional homicide painted a picture during his opening arguments of a man who wanted complete control of his daughter and his three grandchildren.

Joseph B. Reinwand, currently in prison on unrelated charges, had a dark side, said Attorney Vincent Biskupic. He had taken control of his daughter's and granddaughter's lives and didn't like the fact Dale R. Meister was trying to get visitation rights for Reinwand's granddaughter, who also is Meister's daughter.

Reinwand, Wisconsin Rapids, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the 2008 shooting death of Meister, 35, Wisconsin Rapids.

Biskupic told how a friend and coworker of Meister found him dead in his home at Thousand Oaks mobile home park shortly after 2 p.m. March 4, 2008. An autopsy showed Meister had died from multiple gunshot wounds.

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In an opening argument that lasted about 1 1/2 hours, Biskupic laid out his case against Reinwand, which includes a piece of a gun handle found in his pickup, reports of threats he made against Meister and confessions people say Reinwand made following the homicide.

The trial got off to a late start Monday after the bus bringing the jury from Waushara County broke down on the outskirts of Wisconsin Rapids. Another bus brought them to the courthouse.

Reinwand's attorney, David Dickmann gave his opening arguments following a 15-minute break. Dickmann asked jurors to not make quick judgments in the case.

When a homicide occurs, police focus all their energy into solving the crime, Dickmann said. During the first few weeks after Meister was found, police interviewed a lot of people. Weeks, months and then years went by without the homicide being solved, Dickmann said.

Part of the evidence in the case includes "jailhouse snitches," Dickmann said, men in Wood County Jail and Wisconsin Prison System. One of those men hoped that giving evidence would help him. None of the inmate witnesses got special consideration for their testimony, Dickmann said.

An interview with Reinwand contained a lot of different questioning techniques, Dickmann said. Reinwand didn't give any information in the interview that wasn't given to him first, Dickmann said. The detective had Reinwand giving hypothetical answers to hypothetical questions.

Dickmann told jurors it was an incompetent investigation into the homicide. Police went through the investigation with blinders on, ignoring things that were to the side of their focus, Dickmann said.

Dickmann's opening arguments took about 15 minutes.

Most of the witness testimony presented Monday focused on the day Meister's body was found in his Wisconsin Rapids home. Randy Winkels, a friend and former co-worker of Meister, said he had talked to Meister on Tuesday, Feb. 26 and Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2008.

Winkels purchased a car from Meister for $700. He gave Meister seven $100 bills for the car.

"He was telling me he gets more visitation with his daughter; he was in a really good mood," Winkels said. "He was a really good father."

Winkels said he and two women who also were friends of Meister decided to contact him to hang out together and "maybe shoot some pool" on March 4. Winkels tried calling Meister and then, when he didn't answer the phone, drove to his home.

First one of the women went to the door, then, when Meister didn't answer, Winkels went to the door. He noticed the door, which Meister normally kept locked, was open a crack. Winkels said he went into the home a few steps, saw the body on the sofa, then turned and left. The three then called 911.

Dr. Mark Witteck, a forensic pathologist who did the autopsy, said Meister died from multiple gunshot wounds. Meister was shot twice in the head and once in the upper left chest, Witteck said. The shot that went into Meister's brain was fired at close range, probably six to 12 inches, Witteck said.

Meister had been dead for at least two days prior to being found, Witteck said.

Retired Deputy Fire Chief Tom Winkler was the first emergency personnel on the scene. He said he went into Meister's mobile home and checked for a pulse to be sure he was dead. Winkel and Wisconsin Rapids Officer Roy Woyak both checked the home to be sure no one else was inside.

Retired Wisconsin Rapids Police Detective Greg Eisberner took the stand late in the afternoon. Eisberner was one of the detectives on the scene the day Meister was found.

Eisberner said one unusual thing about the scene was that someone had removed the shell casings from the home. The only casing was found when they removed Meister's body. The casing had fallen between the sofa cushions and was revealed when the cushion moved while removing Meister.

On cross examination by Dickmann, Eisberner said there was no sign of forced entry into the mobile home. He identified a peephole in the home's door and said that the landing in front of the door could be seen from two of the home's windows.

The trial will continue at 9 a.m. Tuesday. It is expected to last 10 days.